The Winter School “Anthropology of forgery. A multidisciplinary approach to the study of archaeological fakes” will gather in Padua a pool of international scholars who are committed to the study of, and to the fight against, illegal activities within the sphere of cultural heritage, activities that can only be dealt with by adopting a number of different scientific approaches (anthropological, historical, cultural, technical, economic and juristic).In particular, the Winter School will touch upon a selection of meaningful topics, including:- the history of archaeological forgery from the 18th to the 21st century;- the taxonomy of forgeries (distinction between fakes, copies, imitations, re-elaborations, variations, and commercial souvenirs);- a wide range of material types (such as pottery, sculpture, bronze artefacts, coins, mosaics, and paintings);- the practice of “dangerous restorations” (which strongly affects the original authenticity of the artefact and can be seen as the first step towards the deliberate creation of fakes ex novo);- the deployment of both traditional archaeological methods and the newly-developed archaeometric analysis in order to detect and unmask fakes;- the modern technologies used in the production of copies (and fakes), which in turn will cast some light on the technologies of past copyists (and fakers), as well as on the technologies of ancient artisans (ethno-archaeological perspective); - the presence of fake artefacts on the international art market and in museums.

In recent years the phenomenon of forgery has become a disconcerting and urgent problem, one which poses new challenges and sets new tasks for experts of many different disciplines. It is precisely with this in mind that the School intends to be a unique occasion for all its participants to be brought up to date on the latest developments in this field through the teaching of some of the most active European researchers in this area. At the same time, the Winter School wishes to provide students with different academic and/or national backgrounds an opportunity to share their knowledge and expertise with one another. All classes will be held in English and will be divided between general lectures and presentations of specific case studies. An advanced scientific approach will underlie all of them. The course will be rounded off by two field trips, one to Vicenza and one to Venice. On Tuesday 14th we will be hosted in Vicenza in Palazzo Leoni Montanari where we will be given the chance to view Banca Intesa’s collection of Greek pottery. On Thursday 16th we will go to Venice and visit Piazza San Marco and the Archaeological Museum in order to gain first-hand experience of forgery in architecture and in sculpture.

Target participantsThe Winter School will host a maximum of 20 students (MA/MSc, MPhil, PhD, Scuola di Specializzazione); academics operating in the field of ancient pottery, sculpture, metallurgy, numismatic, mosaic, and painting; employees of the public administration, including Soprintendenze and museums; scholars and professionals working in the field of preservation and promotion of the archaeological heritage. All the participants will be selected according to the quality of their CV and their specific fields of interest. The Winter School will grant 4 C.F.U. – E.C.T.S. (European Credit Transfer System) to its participants. Candidates are invited to submit their application, completing the enclosed form and CV, before the deadline (1 December 2016). Incomplete applications and applications presented in languages other than English will not be considered. The results of the selection will be communicated not later than early January 2017.

FeesThe school is free of charge and it includes the cost of the two field trips for all successful candidates. The best ten students, selected by the scientific committee on the basis of their CV, will obtain a grant to cover accommodation expenses (5 nights, in double or triple room).